


Let No One Mourn Me, For I Still Live

by LeafontheWinf2



Series: Time Traveler's Mate [11]
Category: Guardians of Childhood - William Joyce, Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: E. Aster Bunnymund Feels, Eventual Time Baby, Hurt E. Aster Bunnymund, Idiots in Love, Jack Makes It Better, M/M, Past Character Death, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-17
Updated: 2015-11-17
Packaged: 2018-05-02 04:24:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5233988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeafontheWinf2/pseuds/LeafontheWinf2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aster has been struggling these past years to move on from Jack's death. No matter where he goes, he is still haunted by the memories of his dead lover. However, Aster's just found something that will change his life for the better....and hopefully save Jack.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let No One Mourn Me, For I Still Live

**Author's Note:**

> Here is part one of how Bunny saves Jack. Starts off sad but ends happy. It's only going to get better from here!

It was hard to go on. Once upon a time, when he had been young, Aster had believed his heart had been shattered. That had been when he had watched his soon-to-be-mate fade away in a shower of frost and snow, leaving Aster all alone in the world. He had thought that was the worst thing that could ever happen to him.

He’d been wrong. The worst thing was losing Jack after they’d been mated for over a century. Now Aster knew every inch of Jack. He knew how the sprite would giggle when Aster nuzzled his cheeks, Jack’s favorite blend of tea, and that he was allergic to strawberries for some bizarre reason. Aster had mapped out every sensitive spot on Jack’s seemingly delicate body and knew how to leaving his mate a gasping mess in their nest.

Aster had memorized their wedding anniversaries date and hadn’t missed it in over a century. Jack had proudly stolen a shelf in the living room to display the presents Aster got for him over the years. There was a whole chest next to their nest where Jack kept the jewelry Aster had crafted for him, and Jack had a wedding ring for each holiday and season.

Aster hadn’t touched them. The chest was still open, the rings on display. Each morning Aster would wake up and run his hand across the rings before struggling to go outside. He’d taken to wearing his old robes again, not because he missed them but because of what was in the closet.

Jack’s clothes were still on their hangers. The soft hoodies Jack wore to play with the children hung next to the more formal outfit Seraphina forced Jack to wear at official functions. Jack’s favorite Halloween costume still hung there, all soft silk and delicate lace that had hugged a pale body closely. And then there were Jack’s clothes that he wore around the Warren. All light material to keep Jack from overheating but easy to remove for when Aster couldn’t help himself. Now though Aster would reach past these clothes to pull the old robe on and wonder what Jack would be wearing if he were still here.

From there Aster would shuffle out of their (his, but he could never think that) bedroom and towards the kitchen. Breakfast was always simple, and it put Aster in the best position to stare at the presents he’d once collected and created for Jack just to see the sweet smile directed at him. From there, Aster was at a loss for what he needed to do. Some days he would garden. Other days (most days) would be spent sitting in front of Jack’s grave and tending to it. No weeds grew there, the grass was the perfect glossy sheen. Fragile snowdrop blanketed the bottom of it, gardenia for joy and beauty and sweetness and everything that made Jack JACK covered the rest of the grave except for the single picture Aster had painted of his young mate there.

Aster spent a lot of time just talking to that picture. On bad days he’d pretend that Jack spoke back, and on good days he’d spend just an hour there before doing something else in the Warren. The bad days were starting to become less, but they still outweighed the good days.

This year Aster had actually managed to pull off Easter. Last year he hadn’t been able to prepare, too busy lying in the nest and dreaming of Jack. It had been the kids who had pulled Aster out of his depression then. Hundreds on thousands of letters had been sent to Aster from the children saying they hoped he’d feel better soon and they understood why he couldn’t do Easter this year because they missed Jack too.

And that had pushed Aster to get up and keep working. Because Jack would have been mighty cross with him for not delivering the kids Easter and Aster could just see the unhappy frown in his mind’s eye. Even in his imagination Aster couldn’t disappoint Jack so he had kept going.

Today was one of the bad days. Aster had dragged himself away from their nest and stumbled out to Jack’s grave. He couldn’t bare to look at what had once been Jack’s anniversary gifts so he hadn’t eaten. Instead Aster had padded meekly to settle in front of Jack’s grave and forget that the world was still turning outside.

But there was something different here this time. There was a note sitting in front of Jack’s grave, one that Aster had not put there himself. And he was the only one allowed to see this grave, the others had their own grave for Jack. They understood that Aster needed to mourn alone. After all, they had only lost a friend. Aster had lost a mate and husband in one horrific moment and still needed to work beyond it.

Slowly Aster reached out and picked up the note. A pained sob left him as he recognized the handwriting, Jack’s familiar looping hand caressing the page. His knees gave out as he struggled to read the note through the tears in his eyes. Helpless laughter bubbled up in Aster’s throat as the words became clear, the first hint of hope tugging at his breath. And then Aster went racing through the time stream for the first time since Jack died.

Behind him in the Warren, a single note fluttered to the ground. _Easter Day seventy years from now_ , Jack’s handwriting stated, _Don’t be late Bunny-roo._

~*~

Aster hit the dirt of the Warren hard. Tumbling to the ground, he groaned in pain as he struggled to sit up. It took several tries but eventually he managed to rise. A low gasp filled him as he saw what had become of Jack’s grave.

It had overgrown. A mass of ferns and moss covered the front of the grave and that...that was an absolute betrayal. Aster had never hated himself more than he did in that moment. How could he do that to Jack, to Jack’s memories? Just throw away his darling mate and all their time together for something else?

No. Aster refused to do so. He would never forget Jack. He would never let Jack’s memories fade away like dust in the wind, he would cling tightly to them and keep Jack close to his heart.

Somewhere in the distance, Aster could feel the heavy pounding of feet on the ground. But he was still too locked into the shock of losing Jack to time to pay attention to whoever else was in the Warren.

It was for this reason that Aster was so surprised when something heavy crashed into his side. Stumbling slightly, Aster wrapped his arms around the squirming lump of tan fur that had attached itself to his side with a delighted shriek.

The squirming thing turned out to be a tan and white rabbit with the most vibrant blue eyes he had ever seen. “Daddy!” the rabbit, no the pooka, squealed, wrapping tiny arms around Aster's shoulders and holding him close.

Ice water rushed down Aster’s spine. No. There was no way he had...he hadn’t found a new mate, had he? All the hope Jack’s note had given him washed away as he crumpled to the ground. Yes, Aster wanted a pooka kit, but he wanted one with Jack. To have found this with someone else felt like the ultimate betrayal.

The kit’s eyes widened with shock. Horror crossed the adorable little face before it pulled back. “Mama!” the kit shrieked, voice echoing through the Warren.

Aster didn’t want to meet his future mate. He didn’t want to see the person who would one day replace his darling Jack, and give him the future he had wanted with the Guardian of Fun and Joy. The grief was a pressing, clinging thing that blinded Aster from the sound of delicate feet crossing the ground over the sound of crunching frost.

It was only when a familiar pale hand carded through Aster’s fur that he left his pain and looked up. His breath caught in his throat as he met warm blue eyes, full of bright laughter and love. Weakly Aster collapsed forward, clutching the kit to his chest as he fell into safe arms that smelled of love, faith, and bright snowy morning.

“Jack,” Aster sobbed out, burying his face in Jack’s neck and falling limp.

“Hey Bunbun,” Jack, his Jack, wild and bright and beautiful and alive, said with sweet smile, “It’s been a while, huh?”

Aster whimpered, aware that he had crawled up into Jack’s lap. He barely paid any attention to the kit squirming in his lap, complaining loudly about how Daddy was squishing me, make it stop Momma! because he finally had his Jack back.

He opened his eyes when Jack reached forward, pulling the kit out of his arms and setting the tiny body on the ground. “Momma needs to talk to Daddy real quick,” Jack murmured pressing a quick kiss to the tan forehead, “Go on and play, I’ll be there soon.”

The kit chirped an agreement before dashing away, leaving the couple behind as they cuddled together. For quite a while, Aster just lay there and snuggled into his mate, basking in the presence he had been without for far too long.

“We have a kit?” Aster whispered softly, breaking their silence.

Jack let out a breathy lost, “Yeah. A little hellion actually.”

Aster froze as he noticed something off about his mate’s smell. There was the underlying scent of something sweet, something new and growing that had not been there before. It was a soft scent, one Aster had never dreamed he would smell. “Jack…” Aster whispered, voice breathless, “Are you…”

“Yes,” Jack murmured, one hand going down to cup his stomach. There was a secret in his smile, something coy and playful and oh it made Aster’s heart hurt.

“How did you survive?” Aster begged, his own larger hand coming down to rest against the slight swell of Jack’s belly, “I watched you die.”

“There’s a magic in certain things. They capture your life, your core, and keep it alive,” Jack admitted gently playing with Aster’s ears. It was very relaxing. “Did you keep my stuffed bunny?”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“My stuffed bunny. You gave it to me,” Jack informed him dryly, “You showed up in the middle of nowhere, gave me the bunny, then disappeared. Then you showed up and yelled at me about ruining your holiday and I was convinced you were a crazy person.”

Aster frowned, “I never gave you a stuffed bunny.”

“Not yet. Just like you haven’t gotten me pregnant yet,” Jack teased poking Aster’s nose. “The magic of time travel you silly bunny. Now hurry up and get going. The present you is going to show up and you’re still a possessive bastard.”

“Before I go, can you at least tell me what we named our ankle bitter?” Aster murmured as he got to his feet.

“How about this? You come back when you know our kit’s name, and I’ll give you a kiss,” Jack murmured softly, pulling away with a teasing grin.

For the first time in years, Aster laughed. It was loud, and rusty with disuse but it was there. For the first time since Jack’s death, Aster had hope.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, Jack and Bunny will have a baby in the future! I decided to be kind and ask you guys what you wanted. I haven't decided a name or gender, so you can recommend a couple. All I ask is the names have a meaning behind them.


End file.
